What Are You Making for Dinner?

[bbauman07]

I'm having trouble deciding what to make for dinners this week. What's on your menu.

 

[Bexs50]

Last night I made the 30 minute microwave chicken and the cheesy garlic potatoes (recipe on garlic press use and care card) and for dessert I made a microcake. It was a nice Sunday dinner and took me no time at all!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

What are you making for dinner?

Reservations. I hate Mondays.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Reservations. I hate Mondays.

I love to cook but I have to say that is my favorite recipe (or should I say "menu choice")!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Yesterday was The Kat Lady's birthday. I told her I was going to take her out and since it was her birthday, I'd even let her supersize it.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Pork Roast
Black Beans & Rice
Salad
Garlic Pull-Aparts

 

[Jennie4PC]

we are having french dip sandwiches, I am also going to try the smokey chicken alfredo. I dont think you want my whole menu since I have 2 weeks worth

 

[BethCooks4U]

Yesterday was The Kat Lady's birthday. I told her I was going to take her out and since it was her birthday, I'd even let her supersize it.

You sound exactly like my dh! He always says that I can supersize it on our anniversary - lol!

 

[lacychef]

We're having breakfast for supper tonight; just because I couldn't think of anything else It seems like it's usually about 4:00 before I'm planning supper for that day....I wish I was organized enough to plan for the whole week! Sometimes when I'm shopping I'll get enough for a few meals. I have a picky family, so it makes things interesting!

 

[gilliandanielle]

We do this too! Instead of Subway I get Quizno's on "special" occasions!

 

[jenniferlynne]

We had

Swiss Chicken casserole with stuffing (in the deep covered baker )
green beans (from the garden)
peas (from the garden)
baked potatoes


We usually have spaghetti at least once a week. It's fast and cheap. We usually have it on Wednesdays, because the kids get home from their sports about 45 minutes before we have to leave for Church. I am also going to make chili one night this week because it is something I can make up and then let simmer for awhile on the stove. It's always better that way. Also planning beef & noodles one day.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I made deep fried burritos last week, and I also made the chicken breaded in doritos from stoneware inspirations the other day. The chicken was SO good!

 

[BethCooks4U]

I was going to make something with chicken that was in the freezer (baking in the oven on the large bar pan as I type) but dh just called and is bringing KFC home so this chicken will be in a salad tomorrow.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I am going to buy some chicken breasts this week and boil them, then shred them. I put BBQ sauce over the top, then throw them in the freezer. They are so easy to thaw and put on bread or rolls! Yum!

 

[DZmom]

I hate to grocery shop so I try to go every payday, which for us is every 2 weeks. Plus, I end up spending tons less than if I go every 3 or 4 days. I can feed our family of 4 for 2 whole weeks on about 100 to 125, if I shop once every 2 weeks. I can easily spend double that going every 3 to 4 days.

So, my menu for the next little bit is...
Tonight= Grilled Salmon, corn & creamy italian veggies with pasta.
Tuesday=Beefy Taco Soup
Wednesday=White Bean Chicken Chili
Thursday=Mom's Missouri
Friday=Meatloaf, mashed taters, corn & rolls

That's this week. I've found that if I make a menu and ask everyone in the family what they'd like to have for dinner that they are much less picky. I also don't follow the menu day for day. I just make a list of what meals I've got ingredients for and then cross the meals off the list as I make them. I also, always make certain that I have a few SUPER QUICK & EASY meals on hand for game nights and show nights.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I hate to grocery shop so I try to go every payday, which for us is every 2 weeks. Plus, I end up spending tons less than if I go every 3 or 4 days. I can feed our family of 4 for 2 whole weeks on about 100 to 125, if I shop once every 2 weeks. I can easily spend double that going every 3 to 4 days.

So, my menu for the next little bit is...
Tonight= Grilled Salmon, corn & creamy italian veggies with pasta.
Tuesday=Beefy Taco Soup
Wednesday=White Bean Chicken Chili
Thursday=Mom's Missouri
Friday=Meatloaf, mashed taters, corn & rolls

That's this week. I've found that if I make a menu and ask everyone in the family what they'd like to have for dinner that they are much less picky. I also don't follow the menu day for day. I just make a list of what meals I've got ingredients for and then cross the meals off the list as I make them. I also, always make certain that I have a few SUPER QUICK & EASY meals on hand for game nights and show nights.

What's Mom's Missouri?

 

[jenniferlynne]

I just make a list of what meals I've got ingredients for and then cross the meals off the list as I make them. I also, always make certain that I have a few SUPER QUICK & EASY meals on hand for game nights and show nights.

I do this same thing!! I still go once a week though. I babysit, so I am always running out of something, especially milk. We go through about a gallon a day. I look at the weekly add and try to plan meals around what is on sale. If it is $1.99 a pound or less, I usually get it. Of course that deep covered baker makes tasty 59 cents a pound chickens.

 

[DZmom]

It's a layered dish that's an old-fashioned favorite that I serve with crusty French Bread.

6 thinly sliced potatos
2 thinly sliced onions
2 pounds ground beef
29 oz crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

Alternate layering the ingredients starting with the potatoes in a greased 13X9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 1hr. Serves 4 to 6.

 

[PoseyMom]

I make my menus for two weeks out, but I don't always stick to the plan... sometimes I mix and match depending on what is going on on any given night. I almost always make roast chickens on sundays, but yesterday no one was in the mood for a big dinner, so we had soup and sandwiches, which means I had to roast the chicken tonight. So we had roast chicken, peas, and rice for dinner. I just finished packing up dh's portion to take to him later tonight when I'm finished with the monday night schlepping.

 

[jdavis]

I look at the weekly add and try to plan meals around what is on sale. If it is $1.99 a pound or less, I usually get it.

I swear this Jennifer thing is killing me, it must mean we think WAY too much alike, lol. I just Love my little grocery store when they have Chicken breasts, either boneless or bone-in on sale I buy at least 4 packages at a time. Last week (I think it was last week they all run together now) I took some of them out of the freezer and FINALLY made the Parmesan Chicken and Pasta from the It's good for you cookbook, and it was AWESOME.

Tonight I did a quickie, smoked sausage links, potatoes, corn, pork and beans, since this was DH's first night at his new job NIGHT, I don't know how this is going to work out, hopefully we will get the routines down soon, I have to have my dad pick up youngest after he gets off work to save on daycare and he gets his 'baby fix' and DS gets his 'papa fix' in. Then have to come home and help 3 boys with homework which takes at least 1.5 hours, then have them get their stuff ready for morning, cook dinner, showers for everyone, and then tomorrow I will have to go to another quickie 'job' right after my phht day job before I get to come home, maybe I will get lucky and gma and gpa will have homework done before I get back so one thorn will be out of my side. OK, I got way off subject here, lol.

I plan on making a few things picky hubby won't eat since he won't be home to eat them with us, like a layered enchilada dish and maybe experiment with a few more new recipes.

 

[MicheleC]

I just picked up four packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.79 a pound today! That is so funny because I try to set the price points as well. I've been really trying to plan my meals out for the week but haven't done too well so far.

Tonight we had cheesy creamy potato soup. I always make a double batch and have left overs for another night.

Michele

 

[cmdtrgd]

Had Cheep Chicken from Albertson's...the Monday night $3.99 for 8 pieces...the easy stuff...

 

[gilliandanielle]

We ended up having frozen flautas and tater tots! One can dream...

 

[jaye]

One of the tips that I use is a little silly, but it works... My husband is a firefighter and isn't home at least two nights a week, if not three, my son has tae kwon do three nights a week, I have school two nights a week (I graduate in May - yay, me!), plus, I have cooking shows when my DH is home with the boys. So... with all of that, I try very hard to have a menu planned in advance, but there are times that just doesn't work out. So, as staples in the freezer, I have: chicken tenders and fries and I always keep a frozen lasagna or other family size meal and garlic bread. When we have a lot of running around and someone (usually me) forgets to take the meat out of the freezer, or we don't feel like whipping up anything, we just pull the lasagna out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave for about 30 minutes and that's dinner and I didn't have to do anything!

 

[gilliandanielle]

Even when you slack you still make a better dinner than I do, LOL!!

 

[jaye]

Shah, right! LOL!! Thanks for the compliment... tonight I had school after a study session at the library, I fast-fooded it... no supersize... I'm on a diet!

Jaye

 

[soccermama]

It's a layered dish that's an old-fashioned favorite that I serve with crusty French Bread.

6 thinly sliced potatos
2 thinly sliced onions
2 pounds ground beef
29 oz crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

Alternate layering the ingredients starting with the potatoes in a greased 13X9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 1hr. Serves 4 to 6.

This sounds a lot like my family's "Poor Man's Casserole"!!! But instead of tomatoes, it's pork n beans, then spread a can of tomato soup over the top. It's name is because you can make it stretch to feed more people by adding more potatoes!!!!! I LOVE this dish!!!!

So... when I plan my menus, I plan them out a month at a time. We get paid monthly... between me & My John we get 6 checks... and they all come in the last week of the month!!!!! So... we plan a menu, make sure the freezer is stocked with lots of meat and pre-cooked meals (pre-cooked by ME... soups, sauces, etc)...

Tonight's dinner was one of my "planned over" meals from the freezer. I made a pork roast a couple weeks ago (in the crockpot with garlic cloves shoved into it, basil sprinkled on top and some white wine in the bottom of the crockpot)... we had that for dinner one night, and the next day I shredded what was left, added BBQ sauce to it and froze it! I took it out last night to thaw for BBQ Pork Sandwiches

 

[bbauman07]

We had cheeseburger hoagie sandwiches, they were yummy. Still haven't picked my menu though, I 'm thinking monte cristo casserole tommorrow for dinner.

 

[PoseyMom]

whats monte cristo casserole? is it like monte cristo sandwiches?? mmmmmm.....

 

[bbauman07]

Yes it is like monte cristo sandwiches. It is delicious.

 

[PoseyMom]

recipe please?

 

[bbauman07]

Monte Cristo Casserole

1 c milk
6 eggs
2 packages (12.5 ozs) frozen french toast, thawed
4 ozs deli baked ham, diced
4 ozs deli roast turkey, diced
1 c shredded swiss cheese
1/4 c snipped fresh parsley
powdered sugar
2 c sliced strawberries
1/2 c strawberry ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 375*; whisk eggs and hot milk toghether. Cut french toast into 3/4' cubes. Pour eggs minxture over french toast and mix. Combine meat, cheese and parsley in bowl. Spoon 1/2 french toast mixture into 9x13 baker, top with meat mixture; spoon remaining french toast mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Combine strawberries and ice cream topping; use for topping.
You can also use warm jelly.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

My dad surprised us by coming and taking us out to Dinner last night - so I will be making last nights planned dinner tonight -
Tuesday - Shrimp and Linguine (from It's Good For You), Butternut Squash (from the garden)
Wednesday - Chicken Fajitas (or Chicken Wet Burritos - haven't decided yet)
Thursday - Vegetable Beef Soup and Rolls (both from the freezer - I have a show, so it's a quick supper)
Friday - Sweet & Sour Ham Balls, Broccoli, corn, and Mashed Potatoes
Saturday - this is always open - sometimes leftovers, sometimes pizza, sometimes we go out, sometimes pancakes.

I had intended on having Crab Stuffed Flounder one night this week, but chage of plans! We'll have that next week.

 

[genburk]

I'm having trouble deciding what to make for dinners this week. What's on your menu.

I was always wondering what to have for dinner and had to have it done by 4 (my husband works part of 2nd shift and 3rd shift). I would get off work between 2 and 3, not be sure what was for dinner and what I already had at home and still needed dinner done by 4. Sometimes I wouldn't even get home till 3:30 and still not know.

I also got tired of the same ole' thing every week, and even went one summer with grilled cheese one night and eggs another for weeks on end. I had completely forgot about tacos until about November. I could have had them a few times in the summer time.

I finally realized if I had a plan, life would be much easier.

I started by making a master list of everything I fixed for lunch or dinner. I included hotdogs, 'breakfast for dinner', heavy duty cooking meals, and everything else I could think of.

Then I planned out my meals for the week.

I decided that for my family one tomato based meal a week (like chili, lasanga, spaghetti, etc.) was enough. I would also make 1-2 chicken meals each week. 2-3 quick and easy meals (great for those meeting or show nights or even trip to hospital nights) and balance out with a few hearty meals.

You could also do a Mexican night, Italian night, Chinese night, beef night, chicken night, etc.

I also keep 2-3 quick or box meals on hand for emergencies or quick switching.

What if I don't want pizza on the 23rd? Then I switch it for another meal or use one of my backup meals. It is not written in gold, it is just a reminder of what can be made. I can adjust it for sales also.

After I plan the week, I keep it and add the rest of the month, week by week. I then collected these monthly meals into a yearly calendar. I have most of the year done. Now I can pull out last years October and change just a few things. Maybe we don't make something as much or would like to add my newest recipes in the mix.

Now I don't sit at work and worry about dinner, waste money at the store buying something I already have, waste gas money going back to town to get something I didn't have, and rush back home to have dinner done in 10 minutes (it iwasn't always done in 10 minutes and sometimes he would go to work without dinner )

Now I know what I am having next week and if roast is on sale this week, then I can buy it, freeze it, and save the difference. Now that makes life easier.

 

[PoseyMom]

Thanks for sharing your recipe brooke! i have such fond memories of Monte Cristo sandwiches when I was a kid!